Enhanced Photos Using the MyHeritage Photo Enhancer

MyHeritage recently announced a new feature called the MyHeritage Photo Enhancer. If you'd like to see the announcement about it on their blog, click HERE.

This new feature is pretty cool. I have tried it out on a few of my photos. One of the photos I tried it out on is this photo of my paternal great-grandmother, Hilda Maria Carlsson. This is the original photo. As you can see the photo is kind of grainy.

Here's the same photo enhanced with the MyHeritage Photo Enhancer.

What a difference, right? 

Here's another photo of my great-grandma Hilda when she was younger. She was nineteen years old when this photo was taken. As you can see, the photo is a bit blurry.

I tried the MyHeritage Photo Enhancer and here is the result. Isn't that amazing?

The MyHeritage Photo Enhancer may not work as well on every photo, but I'm impressed with how well it worked on these photos.

Have you given this new MyHeritage feature a try yet?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Genealogy Treasures in Great-Grandpa Carl's WWI Draft Registration Card

My paternal great-grandpa, Carl Albert Gillberg, was from Sweden. He immigrated to the United States in 1909. According to his 1924 Declaration of Intention, he arrived on 18 September 1909.

Nine years after arriving in the United States, Carl filled out this WWI Draft Registration Card. 

This draft registration card contains some amazing genealogical information:

Name: Carl Albert Gilbert

Permanent Home Address: 367 So. 11 East, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah

Age in Years: 36

Date of Birth: January 8, 1882

Race: White

Alien: Non-declarant

Citizenship: Sweden

Present Occupation: Baker

Employer's Name: Vienna Bakery

Place of Employment or Business: 732 E. Fourth So., Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah

Name of Nearest Relative: Hilda Maria Gilbert

Address of Nearest Relative: 367 So. 11 East, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah

Signature: Carl Albert Gilbert

Height: Medium

Build: Medium

Color of Eyes: Gray

Color of Hair: Light

Has person lost arm, leg, hand, eye, or is he obviously physically disqualified? (Specify): First joint of 2 finger on left hand off.

Date of Registration: September 12, 1918

In this registration card, Carl signed his last name as Gilbert instead of Gillberg. In various documents, I have seen Carl's name as Gillberg, Gillbert, and Gilbert. On a passenger list during his immigration to the United States he was listed as Carl Gillberg. On Carl's 1924 Declaration of Intention he went by Carl Albert Gilbert. In his 1939 Declaration of Intention and Certificate of Naturalization he was back to Carl Albert Gillberg. I don't know why he switched back and forth between the different spellings of his name.

His occupation was listed as a Baker. It's really cool to have the name and address of the bakery where Carl worked at that time. Years ago I wrote a blog post about my grandmother's recollection that Carl would bring flour sacks home and his wife, Hilda, would make clothing out of them for their children. She also made quilts out of the flour sacks. If you'd like to read about that, here's the link to the post ~ Matrilineal Monday: Flour Sack Dresses–Ingrid Anna Gilberg

In this draft registration card it also states that part of Carl's finger is missing. His WWII Draft Registration Card and his 1924 Declaration of Intention also mention this fact, although they describe it as his left forefinger off or missing.

Carl's nearest relative listed in this document was his wife, Hilda.

I love these old documents. They are genealogy treasures full of interesting and valuable information.

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

David Debs Webster ~ My Newly-Discovered Granduncle

Isn't this a darling baby? I believe this is my newly-discovered granduncle, David Debs Webster.

A sweet 3rd cousin of mine recently emailed a scanned copy of a photo postcard to me with this baby's picture on it along with some writing. I'm so thrilled that she found this while she was looking through some photos, and then sent it to me along with some other pictures. She's so thoughtful and kind!

Here's what the writing says on this postcard:

(Stamped): Argenta, Arkansas 

3-23-6 

Dear Sister: This is my youngest boy. His name is David Debs Webster. Born Sept 12 - 1905.  

Write, Lovingly 

Ur bro. 

Fred E. Webster

This postcard definitely interested me because Fred E. Webster is the name of my maternal great-grandfather. His name at birth was Watson Emory Webster, but he changed his name to Frederick Emory Webster later in life. You may know him here on my blog as "The Traveling Dentist."

So, is David Debs Webster one of my great-grandfather's children? The middle name of Debs is an interesting clue. My maternal grandfather was named Debs Warren Webster. He was one of the children of Frederick Emory Webster and Esther Matus Villatoro.

Fred is addressing his sister in this postcard. My 3rd cousin is a descendant of one of Frederick's sisters.

My 3rd cousin also sent me a scanned image of the address side of this postcard. It was addressed to Mrs. P. A. Hammett in Marysville, Kansas. One of Frederick's sisters was married to Paul Anderson Hammett and they lived in Kansas for a number of years.

These clues indicate to me that yes, the Fred E. Webster who wrote on this postcard, is my great-grandfather, Frederick Emory Webster. I know that he was in Arkansas at least a couple of times in his life.

Now that I'm almost positive that David Debs Webster is a son of my great-grandfather, Frederick Emory Webster, the question is who is David's mother?

I've been doing research to try and answer that question. I don't have definitive answers yet, but I have several clues that are leading me in one direction. I hope to find documents to prove my theory.

In any event, this is an exciting discovery. Another leaf for our family tree!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

My 8th Blogiversary

Yesterday was my 8th blogiversary. It's hard to believe I've been blogging for eight years already! I haven't been blogging as much this past year. I have been keeping myself busy though. I'm almost finished with my third and final semester at BYU-Pathway Worldwide. And, I've applied to and have been accepted to BYU-Idaho's Online Degree Program.

THANK YOU

Thank you to my wonderful readers for taking the time to read my posts and for leaving comments over the years. I appreciate your support very much!

BLOGGING YEAR IN REVIEW

Here are some posts from the last year (since my last blogiversary)

Fred E. Webster, Jeweler ~ Ad in an 1890's Newspaper - April 16, 2019

The Webster Dehorning Chute by E. P. C. Webster - May 2, 2019

Grandpa Debs Webster's Blue Notebook - June 10, 2019

My 2014 Blog Book - July 22, 2019

A Christmas Card from Aunt Juanita - August 7, 2019

My Dad. Member of the Tech Pep Staff in High School - August 29, 2019

Yearbook Finds - My Dad was on the JV Football Team in High School - September 7 2019

Veterans Day ~ 2019 - November 11, 2019

Questions for Grandpa Debs - January 2, 2020

Beginning My Last Semester at BYU Pathway Worldwide - January 6, 2020

Yearbook Find ~ My Mom, Member of Future Business Leaders of America - January 11, 2020

Yearbook Find ~ My Mom's Senior Picture - February 7, 2020

Another Senior Picture of My Mom, Elizabeth Webster - February 16, 2020

Again, thank you for taking the time to read my posts!

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved

Another Senior Picture of My Mom, Elizabeth Webster

In my previous post, I shared my mom's senior picture from her 1957 Pomona High School yearbook. As I mentioned in that post, I found another photo of my mom while I was looking through photos. It looks like it was taken at the same photo session for her senior photo.

Here's her senior photo published in the yearbook.

And here's the one I found while looking through photos.

Here's the colorized version of the first photo.

I think it looks like it was one of her photos from her senior photo session and just wasn't the one chosen for the yearbook. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!

Jana

© 2020 Copyright by Jana Iverson Last, All Rights Reserved